The Impact of Age and Internet Use on Depression

Abstract

Internet use is a prominent part of most adults’ lives. It is used for purposes of entertainment, staying informed, shopping, and staying socially engaged. Researchers are becoming increasingly aware of the impact internet use has on users’ mental health. There is research supporting both the benefits of internet use on reducing depression and the negative impact internet use has on depression. Using the 2016 wave of the GSS dataset this study examined the impact of age and internet use on depression. Using OLS regression and bivariate analyses this study found that older adults reported lower levels of depression than younger adults and used the internet far less frequently as well. However, within the older adult population, those who used the internet frequently were more depressed than other older adults who did not use the internet frequently.